Massaging apparatus.



PATENTED APR. 18. 1905.

E. J. GODMAN & B. P. PRIZZBLL.

MASSAGING APPARATUS. APPLIOATION rum JAN. 28. mp4. RENEWED MAR. 17,1905.

FIG. 1.

UNITED STATES Patented April is, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

EMORY J. GODMAN AND BERNARD F. FRIZZELL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

MASSAGING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,443, dated April 18, 1905.

Application filed January28, 1904. Renewed March 17, 1905. Serial No. 250,663.

To (all III/21017), it may concern:

Be it known that we, EMORY J. GoDMAN and BERNARD F. FRIZZELL, of Baltimore, Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Massaging Apparatus, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for treatin certain organs of the human body, particularly the ear and eye, by alternately rarefying and condensing in rapid succession a column of air or other gas in contact with the affected part. A massaging effect, curative of certain diseases, is thus produced.

It also relates to means for treating certain diseases of the ear by the production of a rapid succession of short sharp noises.

Our invention consists in certain improvements in the massage mechanism, whereby both ears or both eyes may be simultaneously treated through the rarefying and condensing effect produced by two separate diaphragms simultaneously vibrated by common operating means.

It also consists in combining with the massaging means other means for producing a rapid succession of noises and in actuating said noise-producing means by the same operating means which vibrate the diaphragms.

The invention also embraces other features, all of which will be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2, an elevation. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through one of the bell-shaped casings; Fig. 4, a sectional view of a modification of parts of the apparatus, and Fig. 5 is a detail view.

1 is the base of the machine, having secured thereto posts 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Post 6 supports a driving-wheel 7, (which may be rotated by any convenient power,) having a grooved periphery bearing against a smaller wheel 8 on the end of a short shaft 9, (dotted lines, Fig. 1,) bearing in post 5. A disk 10 on the other end of the shaft is eccentrically connected with a pitman 11, Which in turn reciprocates rod 12, bearing in an arm on post 5. The extent of movement imparted to rod 12 may be varied by engaging the screw 13, which connects the pitman to disk 10 in any one of a number of holes 14, each a different distance from the axis of rotation of the disk.

15 and 16 are oppositely-disposed cup-like or bell-shaped casings, each having a tubular extension 17 and closed at its flaring end by a diaphragm 18, Fig. 3, made, preferably, of a thin stretched sheet of rubber secured about the edge of the bell-shaped casing by a hoop 19. The casings 15 and 16 are secured to the posts 2 and 3, respectively, by clamp-plates 20, Flg. 1, each adapted to be pressed firmly against the tubular part 17 of its correspondmg casmg by a screw 21. Rubber tubes 22 and 23, slipped onto the tubular parts 17, may be provided either with nipples 24 for insertion into the ears or with cup-like tips 25 to be pressed over the eye or other parts to be treated. A cross head or rod 26 at the end of rod 12 is traversed at one end by a smaller rod or link 27, connected at opposite ends to the centers of diaphragms 18. A setscrew 28 clamps rods 26 and 27 together in the desired position of adjustment and when loosened permits the cross-head 26 to move without actuating the rod 27 and its diaphragm. This may be desirable when the HOISGQOIOdUClDg means only are being used.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that when the tips on the tubes 22 and 23 are applied to the parts of the body to be treated and the machine operated the columns of air inclosed by the tubes and diaphragms are alternately rarefied and condensed, thus producing the desired massagmg effect.

While the employment of two diaphragms 18 18, as inFigs. 1 and 2, is preferred, We ma employ a single diaphragm 30 between the two chambers 31 and 32, as in Fig. 4. A rod 33, connected to the center of the diaphra m, passes through a stufiing-box in the walT of chamber 32 and is connected to the crosshead 26, Fig. 1. Furthermore, while preferring vibratory diaphragms 18 18 or a diaphragrn 30, such as specified, we may employ with ike efiect pistons or a piston working in suitable cylinders or a cylinder the wellknown equivalents of diaphragms.

The noiseproducing means for treating certain diseases of the ear consist of the following parts, to wit 40 is a hollow bell-shaped or cup-like element having a screw-threaded tubular portion 41, by which it is adjustably mounted on post 4. A sounding-board or diaphragm 35, preferably of gutta-percha, is fixed in and closes the large end of element 40. 36 is a striker or hammer adj ustably secured in the end of cross-head 26 by a setscrew 37. A fixed hand or pointer 42 is arranged in juxtaposition to a scale 43, inscribed on the periphery of part 40, and a rubber tube leads from tubular portion 41 to a nipple suitable for insertion into the car.

When the noise-producing means are not in use, the striker 86 is moved to such position that it will not contact with soundingboard 35 when the cross-head is reciprocated but to adjust the striker to its operative position the cross-head is advanced to the limit of its forward movement and the striker adjusted until it bears lightly against the sound ing-board. If the noise produced is too loud or not loud enough, the bell-shaped casing 40 is rotated, whereby its screw-threaded connection with post 4 will move the soundingboard toward or from the striker. The pointer and scale enable this adjustment to be accurately determined.

We claim as our invention 1. In apparatus of the kind described, two separate non communicating gas conduits each having an opening adapted to be closed by application to the body to be treated, two vibratory diaphragms constituting parts of the conduits respectively, a rigid connection between the diaphragms, and a single actuating means joined to said connection forpositively reciprocating the same to vibrate both diaphragms. I

2. In apparatus of the kind described, a bell-shaped or cup-like member having a reduced tubular extension, a diaphragm closing the large end of said member, and a screw-thread connection between the tubular extension and a support, whereby rotation of the bell-shaped member varies the position of the diaphragm.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EMORY J. GODMAN. BERNARD F. FRIZZELL.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM G. FLAIG, LEVEN J. GWINN. 

